1:00 PM EST

Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

To start the day off we’re likely to get a real shootout as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against the Houston Texans. This intraconference matchup features two very prolific offenses. However, the Bucs will be without both of their Pro Bowl wide receivers as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin try to rehab from hamstring injuries suffered in back-to-back weeks. Jameis Winston is still around and as the current leader in passing yards for the season, he still presents a danger to Romeo Crennel’s defense despite his two best receivers being on the sideline. For Houston, they will rely upon the arm of Deshaun Watson to put points on the scoreboard. Watson has his full arsenal of weapons as DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V, and Kenny Stills have been on the field together for the majority of the second half of the season. Against a weak Tampa Bay secondary, all three should be able to make plays to help Houston. Yet, the Buccaneers have Shaq Barrett rushing off the edge and his 16.5 sacks prove that he can wreak havoc off the edge against any opponent. As the first of three games, expect this one to be played more open than the other two on the schedule.

PREDICTION: TEXANS 42 , BUCCANEERS 31

4:30 PM EST

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

This game not only has big implications in the division but it also could rearrange how teams are seeded in the AFC. Both the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills have secured playoff spots but with New England holding a one and a half edge over Buffalo, this is the last chance for the Bills to get out of the Wild Card slot. If the Bills are going to win then they will need a much better performance out of Josh Allen than what they got when these teams first met earlier in the season. Allen has been decent with his arm but he’s really hurting teams with his ability as a runner. At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, he’s hard for defenders to bring down and he’s agile and quick enough to make them miss if they come at him with a poor tackling form or from an improper angle. Donta Hightower and Jamie Collins will be tasked with keeping him in the pocket. Stephon Gilmore has looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and it’s unlikely that Allen throws his direction. Devin Singletary has also been a revelation for this team in the back half of the year and we just saw Joe Mixon and the Cincinnati Bengals carve up the Patriots defense with the run. Where this game will ultimately be decided is by how the Bills defense fares against Tom Brady’s offense. New England has not looked great on that end of the field for a few months now and Buffalo’s defense has been very stingy all year and they bring the pressure right to the quarterback and Brady has been poor against blitzes this year. The Bills will look to limit Julian Edelman and force the other weapons to beat them in what will be a dogfight of a game.

PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 24 , BILLS 20

8:15 PM EST

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers

To finish off the Saturday triple-header, we will see the Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams are a year removed from making it all the way to the Super Bowl and the 49ers have looked like the best team in football this season. Yet, neither of these teams are currently in first place of the NFC West. In reality, there’s a chance that these two teams finish with the final two playoff spots in the NFC. For that to happen though the Rams would need to first win this game. They need to win their final two games and have the Minnesota Vikings lose their last two if there is going to be any chance of them playing in the postseason again. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley have been the definition of inconsistency this year and Sean McVay’s genius has seemingly vanished at times on the offensive end. All three will need to put forth their best performances today if they want to keep hope alive. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey will have to elevate the rest of this defense if they are going to shut down the 49ers attack. For San Francisco, an upset loss to the Atlanta Falcons knocked them off their pedestal as the number one seed all the way down to likely having a road game in the Wild Card round to start the playoffs despite being tied for the best record in their conference. Jimmy Garoppolo looks like a future Hall of Fame quarterback with George Kittle playing and looks like the second-coming of Eli Manning without him. Mike Shanahan is going to need more consistency from him, or he can continue to trust his run game and use Raheem Mostert as a true workhorse runner. Defensively, their front line (led by rookie Nick Bosa) and their secondary (led by Richard Sherman) have carried them to their success this year and the hope is that it will continue for another week.

PREDICTION: 49ERS 31 , RAMS 20